Knightmare Battle Championship
by RaiZero
Summary: Successor to Knightmare Battle Tournament. What happens when a fire that blazes for more than a decade finally explodes? The masked man Zero had it all, but lost it when he was betrayed by those he considered friends. Now with a new face, he is intent on using a video game as a front for his true intentions which involve furthering his research and taking back all he lost.
1. Ch 01: The Debut

**KNIGHTMARE BATTLE CHAMPIONSHIP**

**Chapter 01: The Debut**

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><p><strong>PREFACE<strong>

**A major thank you to anyone who is coming back from _Knightmare Battle Tournament_! This time around, I think I know what I'm doing. I have a plethora of ideas written down already so no more writer's block. The only thing that'll stop me is laziness. Which I hope doesn't affect me as bad as before. Anyway, enough out of me, I'm sure you want to read already. So go on ahead and enjoy!**

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><p><em><strong>Zero Tower, Pendragon, Texas Province, Holy Empire of Britannia<strong>_

_**Thursday, November 30th, 1995 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

A large man with silky brown locks that handsomely adorned his facial features including that of his similarly colored goatee, sat in silence inside of his dark office as his purple eyes faced the only light source in the large room which was that of his television screen which was broadcasting the latest and most devastating news.

On the screen was the local _Pendragon Imperial News Station_ which was famous for following the latest news on the most powerful and influential people in Pendragon, the capital of the Holy Britannian Empire. Tonight they were broadcasting a recent car crash which resulted in the deaths of three people and the injury of several bystanders.

The woman on screen, a local reporter, was announcing all of the important details, "Tonight a terrible tragedy has unfolded. At the intersection of 11th Street and Eowyn Road, a car crash between an industrial semi truck and a SUV resulted in the injury of several civilians and the deaths of three men who had been riding in the SUV. The driver of the semi truck which crashed head on into the SUV is missing and is believed to be on the run. The _Pendragon Police Department_ is searching for the culprit. Paramedics arrived on the scene ten minutes after the incident and the three men who were recovered from the crash were confirmed to be Julius K. Lamperouge and two bodyguards who were driving the CEO of the _Lamperouge Corp._ to the offices of the company located at the Zero Tower in downtown Pendragon," said the woman as she continued to go on and on about the incident, "where the CEO was supposed to hold a press conference regarding a recent breakthrough in the technology that the company has been working on in secret over the past seven years."

The man who was watching this couldn't help, but raise an eyebrow. He was unaware that Julius was holding a press conference. What could this have meant? However, before his thoughts could process any further, the sound of a telephone ringing caught his attention. The man moved his arm across his glass desk and he picked up the phone. Raising it to his ear as he said, "Hello?"

The voice on the other side of the call was relatively younger compared to his own. However, it was still sadistic and filled with the insanity of a person who belonged in a mental institution. "The job is done. You won't be hearing from him again." said the voice.

"Good. You've done well for yourself M." the man answered. The objective at hand was now cleared and nothing could get in the way of Charles' plans. However, the press conference issue was still making him curious. What could Julius have possibly had in mind? What was he going to reveal that he was unaware about?

"Now onto the next step Mr. Brinnia. I expect I'll be rewarded handsomely for this assignment." the voice continued only to be stopped. "You'll get what you earned, but first I need to know something. Did Julius have anything of value on him? Any files, documents, or equipment?" he asked, wondering if he had come with some sort of briefcase while on his way to the press conference.

"Nothing. It was only him and his two bodyguards. However, there is something interesting that he said before he was eaten by the flames." said the man known as M which made the purple eyed man wonder what Julius was truly up to.

"He said the following, '_This is the end of the road for us, but the beginning of a new life for him.'_. Do you know what that means?" asked M which made him wonder even more. Did Julius know that tonight was going to be his last night alive? Was he one step ahead the entire time?

"I don't, but either way it doesn't matter. I expect you to head for Los Angeles as quickly as possible. You'll meet my associate there and you'll be paid in cash. I have some things to take care of here in Pendragon. We'll talk again another time." he stated, wanting to end the call and begin getting on top of things.

"Very well then, Charles Z. Brinnia." M stated before the line went dead. Charles returned the phone to it's place before standing up and turning off his television which was still talking about the death of Julius. He exited his office soon after with the goal of heading downstairs to where the conference would be held for he had a public announcement to make.

_**Camelot Holy Cemetery, Pendragon, Texas Province, Holy Empire of Britannia**_

_**Tuesday, December 5th, 1995 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

Rain was pouring down upon the cemetery which held many powerful nobles. A massive graveyard where various tombstones of very different shapes, sizes, and designs had been lying above the final resting places of the dead. Even in death the nobles still showed off. However, Julius K. Lamperouge did not. For him there was just a square plaque in the ground engraved with his name, date of birth and death, and finally a quote from him which said, '_If you don't lead then how do you expect others to follow?'_.

It was one of his most favorite lines which he used to boost morale in his workplace. He also used it to teach lessons to his three children. Only a small amount of people attended his funeral. His children, their mother, and some close friends. However, his brother was absent since he was busy preparing to take over the company and become the next CEO. That didn't matter to him though. Not to Dash. All he cared about was his father who was now a part of the Earth. His killer was still not found by the police and the issue regarding his money and property was still hanging in the air since nobody wanted all of his possessions to go to a female commoner, even if she was the husband of one of the most powerful men in the field of technology. The future of the Lamperouge family was bleak one.

One of Julius' friends, a man dressed in a black business suit who was of African descent, walked over to the Lamperouge family and stood next to Dash, the youngest of the Lamperouge children. He put his hand on Dash's shoulder and said, "Here. Your father wanted you to have this. He said only you would know what to do with it."

Dash, a fifteen year old boy looked up at the taller and older man and asked, "Who are you?" to which the man replied by saying, "Nicholas F. Shieldston. I am his lawyer. Come to my office later today so we can discuss the issue regarding your father's last will and testament."

Dash nodded before accepting the small object that Nicholas had given him. It was a computer hard drive, colored in black. Dash clenched the device hard before pocketing it as he looked down at the water soaked ground. The rain was beginning to pick up. The clouds up above shouted loudly with the sound of thunder. Dash looked up at his mother who had tears streaming down her face. His older siblings were crying too. Dash, however, was the only one who could not shed a tear. Although he loved his father very much and was feeling sorrow throughout his entire body, mind, and soul, his eyes couldn't let out a single tear. Although he did not know it, lying deep within his body was not only sorrow. A single flame of hatred and rage was burning and in time it would ignite the fuse for an explosion which would result in him unleashing his power upon the world.

_**Level 80, Babel Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**_

_**Friday, September 15th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

As the sounds of an elevator continued to ring through his ears, the low lit lift soon brightened as they reached the 20th level of the tower. Now they could see the outside world. Sunlight flooded in thanks to the glass corner of the building. As they rose up the levels of the building, the black haired teenaged boy couldn't help, but feel as if though today was different than before.

His friend, the indigo haired person who always arranged these kinds of trips, was acting different. He was more excited than usual. He was looking forward to this more than any regular gambling run. As if he was anticipating something else. Something that wasn't usually a part of these weekly events.

"Why are you so excited?" he asked, since he couldn't help, but notice his friend's excitement which bottled up by the second.

"Oh umm, just happy that we'll be getting a huge score today!" he lied as he tried to avoid making eye contact with the purple pupils that stared him down.

"Rivalz, I know when you're not telling me the truth. Tell me what is going on." he stated, slightly irritated that he would refuse to divulge information that could possibly have to do with his upcoming Chess match.

Rivalz Cardemonde. The one person who convinced him to begin going out to gamble against the richest of the rich. Rivalz had seen the skill he possessed in the ultimate game of strategy, tactics, and intelligence. It was a chance encounter. An accident really. He had displayed his immense skill in Chess because Milly wouldn't stop talking about how he would beat numerous friends of her grandfather, the dean of Ashford Academy. This got Rivalz interested in using that skill in order to get out of some debt that he owed. Originally the plan was to pay off the debt, but after seeing how much money he could gain, they decided to keep going.

"You'll see Lelouch. Today's a special day. We'll be witnessing history in the making." Rivalz said to his raven haired friend. Lelouch rolled his eyes as he pulled on the collar of his black Ashford Academy uniform which bore golden trimming.

"Fine. If you're going to act this way then I may end up losing today." Lelouch stated as he looked outside at the settlement. A truly advanced city. Thanks to the wealth of Japan, Tokyo and many other cities within the nation were extremely high tech and beautiful sights to behold.

However, his eyes were upon not the city itself, but far beyond it where nature stood. The great sight of Mt. Fuji far off in the distance with the clear blue sky acting as a backdrop. A truly amazing spectacle. Yet, this sight would quickly be stolen away by the objective at hand. The elevator had arrived at the designated location. Level 80. The doors opened up and Rivalz seemed to skip out of the lift and onto the floor before them while Lelouch followed a couple of feet behind him, slightly embarrassed at his friend's behavior.

Now they were at the center of it all. The gambling heart of the Tokyo Settlement. A casino near the highest levels of the tower. Games like poker, blackjack, craps, slots, and the like were all being played here with various other forms of entertainment as well. In the center of the grand room was a boxing ring where many people have placed their bets on one of the two fighters. In another side of the room was a stage where a band with a female singer were playing their hearts out. And not too far off was the V.I.P. section where Lelouch could see a Chess board awaiting his arrival. But, before Lelouch could even begin to take a step in that direction, Rivalz grabbed the raven haired man by the collar and began dragging him toward a different part of the casino.

"R-Rivalz! What are you doing!" Lelouch yelled out, which didn't really sound too loud compared to all the noise the other people around them were making. They came to a halt amongst a crowd that was gathered in front of another stage which looked a lot like one you'd see at a theatre. It seemed everyone was here for something important, considering the fact that Lelouch could see all around him were various people of wealthy stature. Some he recognized from the _Pendragon Imperial Magazine_ while others seemed to come from other backgrounds, such as Japan, China, Europe, and the like. Wealth surrounded them in vast numbers.

"Just watch Lelouch. This is something you don't get to see everyday ya know." Rivalz replied as his eyes stayed solely focused on the grand red curtains before them. As they waited for whatever it was that Rivalz wanted to see, Lelouch heard a voice from someone directed at him.

"Would you like a drink sir?" asked the female voice. Lelouch turned to see that one of the bunny waitresses here was offering him a glass of alcohol.

"No thank you." Lelouch replied as he stared at the red headed girl. He noticed as she seemed to have a small bit of shock as she looked on at him, before she moved along. And the longer he stared at this girl in the pink bunny outfit, the more he felt that he had seen her before somewhere.

"Lelouch, it's starting!" Rivalz said with excitement as he pointed at the curtains which opened up to reveal a mostly empty stage aside from a lone man in an all white aristocratic suit and a large monitor behind him.

This man was handsome, to say the least. He had golden locks and eyes that sparkled like emeralds in the sun. He was a tall man with a great physique and posture. His outfit was an all white suit with golden trimmings and a cape covering his right arm and shoulder that bore a Britannian crest before it.

"Hello ladies and gentleman of Babel Tower. I trust you are all having an exciting time this lovely afternoon as I am?" this man spoke with amazingly great politeness. He received a welcoming response from the crowd filled with claps and screams from some of the younger females. With a warming smile, this man continued with his speech. "Now I'm sure you know who I am, but if not I shall inform you. My name is Andreas Weinberg, head of the Weinberg Family and CEO of _Weinberg Incorporated_. Last year, my company created a branch which would begin it's venture into the video gaming industry in order to create a revolutionary arcade game which would go on to be called, _Knightmare Battle_!" said the man known as Andreas.

The monitor behind him had turned on and the logo of the game came upon the screen with plenty of cheers from the audience.

"Rivalz…" Lelouch said in a low tone with pure anger beginning to envelop him. "Are we here because you want to see a stupid game debut in person? Is this why you dragged me here today?" Lelouch asked with a deadly aura slowly growing from within his heart.

Rivalz couldn't help, but begin to sweat as he felt this darkness begin to grow near him, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.

"Now many of you here are investors to _Project Knightmare_, the developer of this amazing game. As a result of your support, you have managed to not only receive the money you invested, but have even tripled it's amount over the past six months. Truly impressive and as a thanks to each and every one you, I would like my friend here to present our gift to you." Andreas said as his arm presented another man dressed in an a dark violet colored victorian suit with a black cape covering it. His entire outfit bore golden trimming as well and his head was covered by a black mask that looked somewhat like a lotus flower.

"There he is!" Rivalz yelled out in excitement as the crowd around them clapped for this newcomer. Lelouch looked at this man in confusion. Why was he masked? What was the point of his grand appearance? Like some sort of superhero revolutionary.

"Greetings, supporters of _Project Knightmare_! I am Zero!" this man said, his voice masked by a robotic filter. His introduction received a grand applause from the crowd. Lelouch looked around to see that everyone was in love with this person. They all bore smiles on their faces. They clapped, not out of proper etiquette, but out of true respect for him.

He continued on with this speech, "One year ago today, we presented to you an idea so insane that not a single person would have in their right state of mind, even think about supporting. However, after you saw our projected financial readings, you began to ponder over the benefit of investing in our projects. Your trust in us lead to your pockets growing three times their original size over the past year. Today, I wish to thank you, by presenting to you the next step of our project! Let me present to you our latest project! Ladies and gentleman, we from _Project Knightmare_ bring to you, _Knightmare Battle S_!"

On the monitor, a new logo appeared, which was very similar to the original, however, it was refined with a metallic trim alongside a new addition, which was a stylized letter "_S_". The cheers grew massively at this revelation.

"Starting next week, at 12:00 p.m. exactly, various arcades under the _Project Knightmare_ banner will be opened all over Japan. These places will be the sole home to _Knightmare Battle S_. And unlike it's predecessor, this game will not use the traditional arcade cockpit pods that were used initially. Rather than that, we have gone one step forward and have developed a special, vamped up version of these pods. Called the _Ragnarok Pod_, these machines will take the user into a whole new world by using special virtual reality systems and game mechanics to take the mind of the player into a whole new version of the game. Unlike before, rather than have your body feel real G-forces which strain the muscles over time, the special _VR-System_ will simulate these intense forces of pressure into the mind, which will give a similar experience, minus the muscle strain and vomiting." Zero explained, causing his audience to laugh.

"Finally, the game will feature various of the same modes as before. However, they have been revamped and remade to be used with better graphics in the new _Ragnarok Gaming Engine_. With more customization, game modes, maps, knightmare frames, and weapons, this game is sure to not only give you the nostalgia of playing _Knightmare Battle_ for the first time, but the satisfaction of playing a successor that truly lives up to the name. So, begin preparing yourselves, because in one week, the game will be launched all across Japan. Also, be sure to stay in touch with _Project Knightmare_ via our website or on Knightmag every week. Thank you all for your time and please enjoy the rest of your day." Zero said with a bow. The audience began clapping in happiness as the curtains came to a close.

Lelouch couldn't help, but feel a headache begin to grow on him. Rivalz had surely wasted his time today. Not only with this game nonsense, but also because there must have not been an actual Chess match for him to play. "Rivalz, I'm going home. I'm going to take a cab. I have to go take some medicine before I have to deal with the President's ridiculous antics once school ends." Lelouch told his friend, who seemed to not be paying attention since he was still caught up in all the excitement the crowd had.

Unbeknownst to Lelouch, he was being watched. A camera had focused in on him the entire time the presentation had gone on. Standing behind the curtains was Zero who was standing face to mask with Andreas Weinberg, his longtime friend and savior.

"Did you see him?" Zero asked, wondering if the camera caught glimpse of the young man within the crowd.

"Yes, I saw him. I wonder why he was here. If anything, it's better if we keep our distance from him until we sort everything out. By the way, you gave a very moving speech out there." Andreas said with a smile as the pair began walking side by side toward the backstage area.

"Did I now? I don't remember any girls fawning over me." Zero replied as they reached where the rest of their group awaited.

"That's because they don't know how handsome you truly are." Andreas said with a smile as they came to a halt. Sitting in a circle at a small round table were four people. Two of them were developers of the game who were put into a special section after they completed work on _Knightmare Battle S_. These were Cecile Croomy and her former superior, Lloyd Asplund.

As for the other two, they were extremely loyal servants to Zero in the past and were now working for him as assistants, not that it mattered considering they still talked to him as if he was their lord or something similar. Jeremiah Gottwald and Sayoko Shinozaki. Two formidable fighters and servants. Plus two amazing friends who he owes his life to.

"Time to go already eh?" asked Lloyd as he put down the glass of wine he had been given by one of the bunny girls.

"Yes, I'm afraid break time is over. We have to get back to Infinity Tower. We have a lot of work to do." Andreas stated as he leaned down to pick up a water bottle he had left on the table before taking a sip.

"We never do stop working do we? Well that's okay. I felt like finishing up the mechanics for the Club anyway." Cecile said as she stood up, brushing off her orange colored uniform which consisted of a white buttoned up shirt, green tie, orange jacket and long skirt with black boots. As for Lloyd who stood right beside her, he was wearing more of a doctors uniform. Jeremiah generally referred to it as a mad scientist uniform.

As for him, Jeremiah was wearing a suit similar to that of something that a high ranking aristocrat would wear. It was mostly white with golden trimming with additions of maron underneath, a black and golden belt, light purple sleeves covering the forearms, and black boots. As for his colleague, Sayoko Shinozaki, she refused to wear anything that grand and wore a simple maid uniform, like she always has.

"I'll go get the car. Sayoko, I trust you with Master Zero and the others." Jeremiah said as his hand went through his turquoise locks as he left the room. Sayoko smiled at that statement since he used to ask her to guard him before. Now that he knew her skills, he would simply state that she could do it, rather than talk as if she was unable to do such a simple job.

"Let's get going everyone. Pack up your equipment. Once we're ready to go, we'll take the back elevator to avoid any attention from those pesky investors." Zero stated, causing Andreas to laugh at his friend's hatred for excessive attention.

"You've never changed have you?" Andreas asked as he assisted their subordinates in putting away their laptops and such into their proper cases.

Zero couldn't help, but think that his friend was wrong. He had changed. More than anyone would ever believe. Because he died once before. All that stood before them now was a shell of his former self. A ghost who wore a mask. A masked called Zero.

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><p><strong>AFTERWORD<strong>

**So what was your opinion on the beginning to a whole new story? I like the set up, because it is similar yet very different to the first chapter of _Knightmare Battle Tournament_. If you hadn't noticed, the game _Knightmare Battle_ was already released in this iteration of the story with a sequel entitled, _Knightmare Battle S_, being released alongside new battle pods. The idea for these battle pods is the cockpit system used in the anime, _Guilty Crown_, for the Endlave mecha. Rather than have them directly control with their hands, they control the knightmares via their brains through a _Virtual Reality System_. It's similar to the basic concept of the Endlave cockpits, but different at the same time. I also added in a couple of new characters right off the bat. The most notable one is Andreas Weinberg from the _Code Geass: Renya of the Darkness_ manga. I decided to have him be the head of the Weinberg Family and a friend of Zero. Gino Weinberg will make his appearance in due time, especially since his father is stationed in Japan right now. But that will be way farther into the story. You also saw Lelouch's reluctance for this game right? He won't jump into it like last time. This time around it'll take some convincing from Rivalz to play _KBS_. Anyway, that's enough for now. Thank you for reading and I do hope to continue with this one, because I have an an entire story line planned out. Plenty of arcs have already been summarized, so it'll only be a matter of time before I write them out and upload them. As I said, thanks for reading and look forward to more!**


	2. Ch 02: The Bunny

**KNIGHTMARE BATTLE CHAMPIONSHIP**

**Chapter 02: The Bunny**

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><p><strong>PREFACE<strong>

**So thanks for coming back! I had an idea for how to do this chapter, but I didn't get around to it, because I wanted to work on some other things outside of FanFiction instead first. Now that I have done that and with the assistance of a Monster Energy Drink, I have finished this chapter which I really liked, by the way. Now do know that this takes place during the same time as the first chapter and a little afterward. So do NOT be surprised. So thanks for taking the time to read this first of all and I hope you enjoy!**

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><p><em><strong>Level 80, Babel Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan<strong>_

_**Friday, September 15th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

It would have been another regular day of work. But that wasn't the case today. For some reason, God had sent a large number of gamblers, business men and women, investors, and plenty of others from differing wealthy backgrounds to her floor that day.

It was Friday, her last day of work for the week. She had just arrived directly from school as well. Right when she thought she could go about the remainder of her day without any problems, she saw the entire floor was filled. Her fury at this fact almost matched her hair color. As well as her outfit. Which was very degrading. As was this job.

"Kallen! Come on, get to work. The more drinks we sell, the more profits we make. You might even get a couple of extra tips today." said a male with brown hair which was spiked backward, however, one stray piece of hair came down in front of his face. His equally colored eyes stared at Kallen with determination, something she didn't see too often. It must have been his greed seeping through.

As she stared back at her well dressed superior, who was surprisingly her age, Kallen couldn't help, but oppose her manager's words of encouragement. "Ryo, you're not the one wearing this ridiculous outfit. If you were in my position, you'd dread going out there to serve drinks. Besides, the more drunk these idiotic rich men get, the more out of control they act. You remember last time." Kallen replied as she looked down at her red and pink colored bunny outfit. It hugged her curves perfectly, so she always felt embarrassed to go out in such an outfit. Her cleavage was clearly visible and adding in the aspect of bunny ears only made it worse. Whoever came up with this idea had stolen it from the Playboy Mansion without a doubt.

"Yes, I do remember what you did to that Britannian noble. You fractured his arm at the elbow for trying to sneak in a squeeze. It was quite the scene. You know, you're a lot like one of my classmates, Ayano. You should meet her someday. You'd probably get along really well." Ryo answered as he recalled the incident when Kallen was almost fired. He also thought about his younger classmate who reminded him of the fiery redhead who worked under him.

"And don't think that it won't happen again okay." Kallen warned. She did need this job, badly. However, she had no qualms about risking her occupation if it meant protecting her dignity by slapping around a couple of rich cocky drunks.

"I'll keep that in mind. Now get out there. Your shift started five minutes ago. By the way, a presentation is being held today as well. Once it starts, it'll be the perfect opportunity to refresh some of the investors. If anyone isn't holding a drink, get them one." Ryo finished before handing Kallen a tray with some glasses on them.

Kallen could smell the stench of the alcohol fill her nostrils. It was scotch. If she remembered correctly it was that popular drink called Glen McKenna. For some reason everyone ordered it, despite being somewhat expensive. But for these filthy rich investors and gamblers, it must have been the same value as a regular Pepsi Cola drink.

Kallen raised her right hand, holding the tray carefully by balancing it on her fingers and her palm. She walked along amongst the crowd of people filled with the rich. Men in business suits. Women in dresses. The occasional casually dressed entrepreneur. Aristocrats from overseas. Royalty from the Middle Eastern Federation. Babel Tower was one of the centers of fun for these people.

As she walked among them, offering drinks to every other person, she heard a loud voice. "Hey Bunny Girl! Come over here!" yelled out this voice. Kallen turned her head in the direction of the sound and saw one of the many private VIP sections. It wasn't closed off from the rest of the casino floor. The only boundaries was a low wall that ended just around three feet off the ground along with a rope that served as the door for entry, guarded by two bulky men in black suits.

Behind these two men was a group of people enjoying themselves as the music from the band that played jazz filled the entire floor. Among this group were some business men who seemed to have just left work to have drinks with some women. Probably dancers from Club 11 on the 75th floor. As Kallen neared the area, she saw an aristocrat among them. He was dark skinned, but his blond hair contrasted this. He was big and wide, but not in the healthy aspect. He sat lazily in his chair with a drink in one hand and a Chess board before him. As Kallen arrived just before the two guards, he yelled out, "Let her through boys! This girl's no threat."

As the two stood aside and detached the rope, Kallen entered the area and got a full glimpse of this man. She instantly recognized him. He was popular at Babel Tower. One of the gambling lords of this casino. The Black King. It seemed that he was waiting for someone to play him in a game.

"What kind of drinks do you have for me girl?" he asked her, putting his empty glass down on the glass table before him.

"It's scotch, Glen McKenna 35 year." Kallen answered as she grabbed hold of one of the scotch glasses and handing it over to him. The man brought the drink up to his face, lightly smelling the alcohol. His lips curved into a smile before he took a sip. As he tasted it, Kallen couldn't help, but feel somewhat claustrophobic in this area. This VIP room was crowded, guarded by two huge men, and the Black King was here. Kallen could fend for herself, but this environment was still not favorable.

"Not bad at all. This place always has the good stuff. So Bunny Girl, you work for Ryo Asama don't you? Last time we spoke was when he cracked the skull of one of the Mafia heads who tried messing with his waitresses. Nobody has balls like he does. I respect him and I respect his workers too. So don't be nervous when coming around here alright? If you could, leave all the drinks here for us. Thanks and here, keep the change." the Black King said, pulling out a wad of cash from his coat pocket. Kallen could tell that it was well over what the drinks costed, but he didn't seem to care and neither did she.

It seemed that Ryo was right. Today was a day for big tips. These wealthy people threw around money like it grew on trees. As if their pockets were infinitely filled with cash. Kallen bowed her head in appreciation and she took her tray and money back to the bar where Ryo was serving drinks.

"Here you go. Money for the drinks." Kallen said as she took around one fourth of the amount and handing it to her boss before pocketing the rest of the money in her bunny outfit.

"Hold on there. Who gave you that big of a tip?" Ryo asked as he looked around the room to see what sort of big shot could be spewing out that much cash.

"The Black King. He's one of your fans." Kallen said as she pointed in the direction of where she came. Ryo looked to see that the Black King was enjoying himself with his company.

"Him. I hate that man and anyone like him. He only likes me, because I almost killed one of his competitors. He now acts like we're friends or something. I'd recommend you stay away from him, even if he hands you this much money. He's no different than those mob types. Damn aristocrat." Ryo said as he gave Kallen another set of drinks to serve.

"I wasn't intending on going over there anymore anyway. I don't feel safe with them anyway." Kallen answered as she looked back at them. She could feel the uncomfortability once more despite being across the room.

"Good. You've got great instincts then. Now, back to work. That presentation is starting up. So get to it." Ryo answered as he returned to serving drinks at the bar.

Kallen sighed, taking the tray in hand toward the crowd once more. As she walked away, Ryo couldn't help, but look at the redhead. He knew she didn't like her job and that he was putting a lot of pressure upon her to get to work. Maybe more so than her fellow bunny waitresses.

However, it was for a good reason. If she didn't get the money she needed quickly, her family would be in a worse situation than before. Although he really did want to help, he knew that if he revealed his knowledge of this information that she would be outraged more than anything. If she were to discover that Ryo was in contact with her older brother, Naoto, then she would grow animosity for both himself and for her sibling.

Unaware of the thoughts of her manager, Kallen walked along, handing drinks to anyone who called her over. However, this ended when the crowd began to move toward another part of the room. They were headed for the stage where the presentation would be held. Kallen followed their movements and would begin to follow Ryo's orders to serve as much as possible.

As she walked amongst the crowd, she could see a person before her. He seemed to be a bit taller than she was. Hair colored black and he wore an all black uniform. He must have been a student. Probably some rich boy who just left class to spend his day having fun with all his wealth. A perfect target too. Teenagers and their hormones. The guys her age liked to show off their money and status. So this would be easy pickings.

Kallen came to a stop behind him and asked, "Would you like a drink sir?" The boy turned to face her and the moment she saw who he was, her heart stopped.

"No thank you." he had said. The purple eyes seemed to show boredom and irritance. This was the face of Lelouch Lamperouge, Vice President of Ashford Academy's Student Council and the most popular boy at the school.

Kallen could feel the end of her school life draw upon her. If Lelouch made the connection that she was working at Babel Tower as a Bunny Girl Waitress, she would be in shame forever. Trying her best to avoid eye contact, she quickly walked away from him, feeling his eyes burn into her back as she made her way back toward the bar.

Ryo looked up away from one of his customers who requested a martini and he saw Kallen returning already. He pointed at her and then back toward the crowd, but Kalen shook her head no as she came back. Curious by her refusal, Ryo handed the order over to a fellow bartender and he walked over to where Kallen was.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wondering if she was in some way violated or something of that manner. He initially thought that, but Ryo quickly got rid of the thought since he knew Kallen would have just torn off their arm or something.

"I saw him." Kallen answered as she tried to catch her breath. Ryo could see some sweat forming on her forehead. Curious about who she could've seen, he looked into the crowd some more.

"Who?" Ryo asked as he couldn't find someone who was out of the ordinary. Everyone seemed to be deeply enthralled in the presentation and the masked man who was giving it.

"Him. The Vice-President." Kallen stated, not wanting to say his name. Ryo immediately understood who she meant. Whenever they had their lunch breaks, Kallen would talk about school. One of the most notorious stories involved the Vice-President of the Student Council, Lelouch Lamperouge.

"No way! Where? Did he leave yet? Did he recognize you?" Ryo asked as his eyes darted all around the room for a black haired student.

"I don't think he did. He didn't say my name and I avoided him the moment I realized who he was. I hope he doesn't recognize me. If he does, he'll use this as a form of blackmail against me." Kallen said as she tried catching her breath.

"Still. I wish I could've met him. The Vice-President, the man who stole away your first kiss! Man I can't believe you didn't kick his ass either. Listen, once you've collected yourself in the breakroom, go back out there. I think the other girls can cover you for a good five minutes." Ryo said as he looked across the floor to see the other Bunny Girls serving drinks to everyone. As he thought about it, he couldn't help, but smirk. Lelouch Lamperouge. A true legend in his eyes.

* * *

><p><em><strong>CEO's Office, Infinity Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan<strong>_

_**Friday, September 15th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

Zero sat in his office at the desk where he was typing down important details regarding the beginning of Project Re;. This was an upcoming plan that he had in progress for many years now which was coming up to it's enactment. It involved various legal activities against certain peoples who had wronged him in the past. At the top of this list was a political figure of great fame many years ago.

The former Prime Minister of Japan and former ally of Project Ragnarok. He was also the cause of it's downfall. Thanks to him, the Kamine Island Incident occurred. Thanks to him, Zero had lost it all. Genbu Kururugi ended his life as he knew it, but that would change soon. He would quickly return the favor. However, to do so, he would need a proxy.

Someone else would have to do it for him. The public would be confused and Genbu would be suspicious of his identity. So, he would need someone else. But who?

"I wonder. Who would be suitable for the job. Someone who could bring plenty of attention to this incident. Someone affiliated with Genbu and the Kururugi family." Zero murmured to himself as he stared at the screen before him. He had a list of candidates. A long one at that. However, who fit the bill perfectly?

Then the ringing of a phone startled him. His attention torn away from his work, he pressed the speaker button and began talking with his caller.

"This is Zero. Speak." he answered before looking back at the computer before him.

"It's Andreas. Lloyd wants you to take a look at the new model. What are you doing right now?" Andreas Weinberg asked through the speakerphone.

"I'm working on the proxy. I need to find out who could do our bidding for us. I'm looking at a list, but I'm not sure if any of these politicians would like to assist us in our endeavor." Zero replied as he scrolled down the screen. Numerous faces with small details about them was his focus. Yet they weren't capable. Candidates yes, but not capable.

"I know someone. He would be perfect for the job. A military man who acted as the face of the Japanese Army during the Oriental Incident. Close friends with Kururugi as well. He trained Genbu's son, Suzaku, during his off time at the Kururugi Shrine. A genius really." Andreas stated, beginning to lose track of what he was talking about and rather beginning to glorify this person.

"Just tell me his name, Andreas." Zero said, growing impatient with the man.

"Sorry about that. It's Kyoshiro Tohdoh. He has grown apart from the Kururugi family in recent years. Following the end of Genbu's term, he began forcing his own life upon Suzaku in an effort to get his son to follow in his own footsteps. Tohdoh, who grew close to Suzaku, felt this wasn't right and the two drifted apart ever since. He would be more than willing to take down Kururugi." Andreas finished, intriguing Zero immensely.

He searched the name in the list of candidates and there he was. A stern looking man with a face filled with discipline and patience. His eyes showed signs of experience in battle and tactics. A true man. Perfect for the role. He would not surrender to Genbu.

"Very well then. Thank you. I'll be right down as well to see the finished machine. If it matches my expectations, we'll use it first." Zero finished before hanging up. As he looked at the screen, a smirk developed on Zero's face. His plans were coming together. Perfectly. For the downfall of his enemies and the rise of his own future.

As he spoke to himself, he could imagine the face on Genbu's face when he learned the truth. For in due time, everyone would know what really happened. "Well then, let the games begin."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Kouzuki Bakery, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan<strong>_

_**Friday, September 15th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

Kallen's steps down the sidewalk were among other sounds through the neighborhood. One of many urban neighborhoods within the Shinjuku Ward. Although, thanks to the current Prime Minister's Urban Reformation Act, the area isn't filled with crime or danger like it was five years ago. As she stopped before a local bakery, she looked up at the sky and saw that it was starting to get late. The sun was beginning it's decent as the sky above turned into a orange color rather than the contrasting blue of the early afternoon.

She averted her gaze upon the bakery before her which was actually only half of a bakery shop. The other half was her home, right above the shop. The two were connected, making it a two story building. It would have been expensive as a regular home, but thanks to the renovations her father made long ago, it became something more manageable since her mother could work from home. Not that she only worked there.

Sighing, Kallen opened the shop door and announced her return, saying "I'm home!" to which nobody replied like usual. For some reason, her mother wasn't at the register like she should be.

"Mother?" Kallen asked aloud as she entered the bakery. All around were various different treats from regular bread to sweets like cake, donuts, and any other crazy delights her mother knew how to make.

"Sorry Kallen!" a voice said. From the open door behind the register which was an employees only area or rather, a family only area, came out her mother. Minako Kouzuki, a woman with light brown hair that is similar to Kallen's yet much longer and tied in a ponytail which goes down her back. She also had Kallen's eyes, a sparkling blue. She was dressed in her usual attire consisting of a white shirt that is buttoned up to her collar bone with a dark turquoise sweater over it. For her lower body she wears blue jeans and slippers. On top of it all she has a chef's apron.

"Where were you mother?" Kallen asked, "You know you can't leave the register alone." The last time this had happened, some hoodlum tried stealing from them, but was caught my one of Naoto's friends who had arrived to purchase some bread. Since he is such a hothead who is always looking for a fight, he ended up breaking the man's arm in a fight. Although in the end he did lose and Naoto, who heard the commotion from upstairs, came down to end it all.

"I'm sorry Kallen! I know that, you don't have to lecture me about last time either. I had just got a call actually from my boss. It seems he needs me for tonight's shift since someone can't make it." Minako said as she came back to her spot behind the counter.

"Why? Today was supposed to be your day off. You don't have to go you know." Kallen said as she walked behind the counter to enter the home section of the building.

"I know, but if I work overtime, I get paid one half more of my regular amount. I would be getting $15 an hour, plus I don't intend on working the full shift. I told him I'd only do half of the shift and he agreed." Minako answered as she watched her daughter enter the house. Kallen walked toward her room, which was upstairs along with her brother's room. Though, knowing him, he was probably hanging out with Tamaki and the others at the Oriental Arcade after work.

As she entered her room, Kallen looked around and saw her messy room. Her bed wasn't made and her desk had plenty of worksheets and textbooks spread out along with her laptop for school. Her closet was just as messy with plenty of dirty clothes strewn all over the floor which was accommodated with some weights for exercise and some wrappers for snacks which contrasted her healthy workout routine.

Kallen threw her school bag over on her bed and she looked into her closet for something more comfortable and casual to wear, rather than her current Ashford Academy uniform. She looked for an outfit to wear, choosing black shorts alongside a yellow camisole top and light pink thigh high socks. As she took off her uniform to get changed, she began to think about her encounter that day at Babel Tower.

Lelouch Lamperouge. Why was he there of all places? Plus did he even recognize her? If he did, she would be in for a world of shame once she returned to school that coming Monday. However, there was the possibility that he didn't recognize her. Yet, there was a scenario that if he did know it was her, he could use that information against her. Who knew what that womanizing jerk could do to her?

After getting changed into her new outfit, Kallen tried her best not to think about it. She exited her room and began walking downstairs back to the bakery. Since her mother would be leaving for work soon for an overtime shift, Kallen would have to take up the mantle as cashier of the bakery. Once she exited the house portion of her home, she saw that her mother was having a conversation with one of the people she didn't want to see.

Standing there in an unbuttoned blue jacket over a casual white t-shirt with dark blue jeans and construction boots was her older brother, Naoto Kouzuki. Now normally, Kallen loved seeing her brother. They meant the world to one another. He would look after her and make sure she didn't get into trouble while she would look up to him and admire how fearless he was. However, by the time Kallen got her job at Babel Tower, that all changed.

Now it was just consistent nagging from Naoto to Kallen about how much he disapproves her work and how degrading and embarrassing it is for her and their family. Of course, she expected another one of his lectures about it today since he hadn't said a thing about her job all week so far. It was only natural that he would show his disapproval at least once a week.

"Ah there she is! Here you go Kallen. You're the queen for now. I have to go get changed." Miyako said as she took off her apron and handed it to her daughter. As Kallen put on the piece of cloth and walked over to the register, she could feel the gaze of her older brother burning into her soul. He was standing lazily with his elbow upon the counter, his hand holding his chin as he stared at his younger sister.

Kallen looked back at her brother, returning a burning stare, which did by no means, match the one that Naoto was giving off. He was in that mood again. The one that called for a hefty discussion and argument.

"Do we have to go through this today Naoto?" Kallen asked as she looked up at her brother who was wearing that signature red headband of his. He had worn it since he was in high school. Him and his group of friends wore it as a symbol of their friendship. Most people affiliated it as a sign of being in a gang, like a bandanna or tattoo. He mocked the thought of that and wore his symbol proudly. Kallen had one as well since she was accepted into his clique of friends. However, she refused to wear it recently since her brother has been acting this way.

"I'll make it quick for you, little sister." Naoto began as he stood up to a straight posture, his hands at his hips. He sighed and began his rant like he always did.

"Do you know why I do construction?" Naoto asked his sister to which she nodded before replying with, "Because you're good at it and it's profitable." Naoto nodded in response at this. They had gone through this routine over a million times over the past year. It was no surprise to him that she knew the routine as well as he did.

"Exactly. Now as for your job, it is only profitable. Aside from that, you are not good at a job like that and do you know why?" Naoto asked, giving his sister a little bit of time to respond. Sighing at the repetitiveness of these discussions she said, "Because this job was made for strippers with no future."

"Precisely. From what I recall you are not a stripper and you have a future waiting for you." Naoto added on. "There are plenty of jobs available out there. You can work in a warehouse like our mom. You could work at a fast food restaurant like Inoue and become manager. Hell, you could even become part of the staff at that maid cafe I saw on the way here. However, you decided to work as a Bunny Waitress at Babel Tower of all places."

"None of the jobs you just mentioned offer as much money as this one. Plus you say I have a future waiting for me. I don't have a future as long as we have all these bills and loans to pay off." Kallen retorted as she thought of the amount of payments they had to make monthly for the loans her mother took out to pay for their car and for the completion of their bakery.

"You do have a future Kallen, at Ashford Academy." Naoto said, however he knew what she would answer with, so he said it for her, "Now I know what you're going to say and I know that Ashford isn't cheap. Even with that scholarship of yours. But if you graduate from a local high school here in Shinjuku, you won't be able to get into a good university nor find a good job like your classmates will. With a degree from Ashford, you're success rate in the job hunting department will be higher than the average graduate."

"Naoto, we don't have time for that. I'm graduating next year in December, not now. I'm only in the second half of the school year. I still got a lot of more time to go. Plus, our loans for the car, the bakery, and Ashford won't wait for us. We need to pay it all off quickly." Kallen stated. Their lives were filled with worry over paying the next bill. That was why Kallen worked at Babel Tower. That was why her mother worked two jobs, one at a warehouse and another at their own bakery. That was why Naoto was working in construction and providing them with two thirds of his earnings.

"I know we don't have time, but that doesn't mean we have to lower ourselves to something like Babel Tower. Now listen Kallen. I have to go somewhere right now. I'm already late for meeting with the others. I'm going to leave you in charge for an hour or so. I'll be back before midnight. I think you know how to lock up the bakery right?" Naoto asked, knowing the answer which was Kallen giving him an irritated, "Yes, now leave."

"I'll see you later then." Naoto said as he walked out of the bakery, headed for a nearby place where his friends usually hung out at to have fun and forget the worries about real life. The Oriental Bar & Arcade.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Oriental Bar &amp; Arcade, Omotesando Mall, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan<strong>_

_**Friday, September 15th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

He walked into the building located at the Omotesando Mall, a popular place for families and teenagers in the day and the home to adults at night. The Oriental Bar & Arcade. It was a popular place throughout the day. One could enter and play any classic or modern arcade game they wished. They could also order any fast food from pizza to hamburgers and the like. For adults, the fun was expanded further at the bar where Naoto's friend, Shinichiro Tamaki, worked as the bartender with an underling working with him in the day. However, his younger coworker couldn't touch the alcohol and only worked part-time so Naoto rarely saw him.

Sitting at the bar tonight was Kaname Ohgi, Naomi Inoue, and Kento Sugiyama with Tamaki as bartender. Naoto walked over to the group and sat at one of the available stools and he said his hellos to them all before requesting a drink. "What would you like Naoto? Scotch, beer, sake, or some shots maybe?" Tamaki asked his childhood friend as he dried a glass with a rag.

"Just a Pepsi I guess. I have to walk home tonight so I don't intend on getting drunk." Naoto said as he placed both elbows on the counter.

"Oh no. Something must have happened. Did you get in a fight with Kallen?" Tamaki asked as he poured his friend a drink of the refreshing beverage. Naoto nodded in approval as he ran his right hand through his hair.

"Was it about her job? You know I could get her a position right under me at the MacRonalds. I have a spot available for her if she'd just ask." Inoue said as she took a sip out of her beer bottle.

"No kid wants to work fast food. She should get a job here with that kid I work with, Rivalz. He likes bartending here. I mean she could do it too. Hell, she could work as a cook in the back or at the prize section if she wanted it." Tamaki suggested as he gave his friend the cold drink. Naoto grabbed hold of the glass cup and brought it to his lips, sucking on some of the fizz first before drinking the actual Pepsi.

"I tell her that all the time, but she refuses to listen. Babel Tower is where she's staying. I don't like that environment for her. The gambling, the alcohol, the cocky rich people, and the drugs. She says she hasn't seen anyone with any, but I know she's lying. I've been there before. The building seems to turn a blind eye to it if someone with enough money comes in." Naoto says as he recalls a moment when he visited the place to get Kallen and he saw someone snorting some cocaine.

"You know, you've never said what it is she does there Naoto. I mean, I know it's a bad place, but what does she do?" Ohgi asked, wondering if it was something degrading.

"She's a waitress. She takes trays with glasses of alcohol and serves it to the customers. To business men, nobles, celebrities, the mob, and the stupid gamblers. It doesn't sound bad, but I mean she's only seventeen. Plus the more drunk those people get, the more dangerous they become. Anything could happen. I mean they have boxing matches on the floor she works on. Anything could happen if someone lost a bet because of those." Naoto explained as he thought about the scenes he saw when he arrived to pick up his sister. Though he avoided talking about the Bunny outfit.

"Listen man, you're getting way too stressed about this. Here, takes these coins and go play a game or something." Tamaki said as he placed down a handful of tokens on the counter. Naoto looked at them and said, "I don't think a game of Pac-Man is going to help me get my mind off of this."

"Not Pac-Man Naoto! Play a man's game! There's this game that's been getting really popular recently since some announcement for a sequel was made. It's called _Knightmare Battle_. It's in the middle of the game floor somewhere. There's like four different gaming pods for it. Play it and it'll take your mind off this, I swear it!" Tamaki stated with full confidence before going over to another customer to pour them a drink.

Naoto looked at the coins and sighed, taking them in hand along with his drink. "What have I got to lose." Naoto said as he began walking over to the arcade portion of the building. The others followed him to see just what Tamaki could have meant about this game, unaware that it would change his mood entirely.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan<strong>_

_**Monday, September 18th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

Lunch had just ended. Kallen had been avoiding her friends during lunch. She wanted some alone time, so she took her lunch to the clock tower and had eaten there instead. Having just come down the steps of the tower, she began walking back toward the main building, a red book in hand. Kallen began shifting through the pages and she could see the text with some illustrations of the story beside them. A book from her childhood that her father had given to her for her birthday. A story about a princess, a dove, a demon, and a tale of courage and sadness.

As she shifted through the pages, Kallen's mind began to think about her father, James Stadtfeld. He had played a huge role in her early life, until 2010 a.t.b. came around. The Kamine Island Incident ruined everything for her father. It was a terrible time. He was taken from them. With the working man out of the picture, their mother was forced to change from an at home mother to a single parent who worked two jobs to support her children. Naoto was sixteen at the time and he began working in a warehouse. However, over time he would eventually shift over to construction which paid more than what he earned previously.

When Kallen turned sixteen, she began working too, at Babel Tower. She didn't like it. Her brother didn't like it. Her mother appreciated it since she was unaware that Kallen was a Bunny Girl Waitress at an infamous hotel & casino in the downtown area. The less she knew, the better. The last thing Kallen wanted was for her mother to worry too much. Working two jobs stressed her out enough. Adding onto that wouldn't help anyone.

As Kallen turned around a corner of a building to reach the entrance, she bumped into someone, dropping her book. She quickly said she was sorry and bent down to pick up her novel. The student she bumped into had done the same. Their hands touched as they both grabbed hold of the red covered book. Kallen looked up at the person she had accidentally ran into and her world stopped. Time stood still. Eyes met. Blue eyes met purple.

"Le-Lelouch." Kallen uttered lightly. His face was mere inches away from hers. Initially he didn't seem to have much of a facial expression aside from his usual stoic one, however, that changed the moment eye contact was made.

The raven haired student and Student Council Vice-President had made the connection. Kallen knew that he was aware of her current job. She could see it in his eyes. He was not trying to hide that he knew either. The spur of the moment allowed Lelouch to get a clear look at her face. His memory instantly placed her face upon the red haired waitress at Babel Tower from the Friday before.

Silently Lelouch said in a low whisper, "It was you..."

* * *

><p><strong>AFTERWORD<strong>

**So sorry that we must end it here! Haha! So what did you think so far? Did you like Kallen's perspective of things? Now if you paid close attention and are an avid anime fan, you may have seen some parallels between this chapter and certain details of another anime. The name of Miyako for Kallen's mother came from Miyako Ayuzawa from _Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama!_ For some odd reason, when I was arriving at that point of the story, I had pictured Kallen's mother as Misaki's mother from the anime. I also noticed, unintentionally, that Kallen and her family are in a similar situation as the Ayuzawa family. Working hard jobs, having to pay off a huge debt/loan, and Kallen's embarrassed of her job. So I decided to make a reference to _Maid-Sama!_ by having Naoto ask Kallen to work at anywhere else, such as the maid cafe he passed by on the way home to their family bakery. Now as for the bakery, I came up with that idea after watching a little bit of _Clannad_ and I based the Kouzuki Bakery off of the Furukawa Bread Bakery from that show as well. Plenty of references, I know. Plus, to you _Code Geass_ fans out there, I gladly added in a character from _Akito The Exiled_. Ryo Sayama, one of the W-0 Unit members, appears as a bartender for Babel Tower and Kallen's manager. He works as the manager for all the Bunny Girl Waitresses. However, he doesn't attend Ashford Academy, meaning we won't see him around _that_ school. **

**Plus, one more reference you may or may not have caught. You see, I am a huge _Ace Combat_ fan. So I decided to add in a little reference by having Kallen's red story book be the same one as Kei Nagase's book from _Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War_. A book titled: _A Blue Dove For The Princess_. You can find this story on the _Ace Combat_ Wiki. Plus ONE MORE REFERENCE! I know I added in a bunch of little easter eggs and nods. If you know where the scotch called Glen McKenna comes from, then you are an awesome person and deserve the highest of fives.**

**Anyway, please leave a review letting me know what you think about this story so far. Without constructive criticism, I cannot further this tale of awesomeness. Plus if nobody leaves me reviews, I find it harder to write the next chapter. I'm not kidding, I feel like nobody is bothering to read if I see no reviews for a new chapter. So I have faith in you all to leave a review. It won't take long, it's not like you _have_ to login or anything. So thanks again for reading and I'll see you around next chapter!**


	3. Ch 03: The Past

**KNIGHTMARE BATTLE CHAMPIONSHIP**

**Chapter 03: The Past**

* * *

><p><strong>PREFACE<strong>

**Hello my wonderful readers! I have somehow managed to get this chapter finished and ready within a week's time. How is that even possible? Witchcraft? A contract with the devil? Hiring a ghost writer to complete my work? Well you would be correct if this was a school assignment. However, this is KNIGHTMARE BATTLE CHAMPIONSHIP! So I'm a little dedicated right now. I'm motivated to work on this. However, it's been taking time from my YouTube channel which is surprising considering the fact that I have more than enough time to make videos for it and write for my fanfics. I guess I'm just lazy. Anyway, I'll try to keep it up and please enjoy this next installment of KBC!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan<strong>_

_**Monday, September 18th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

Silently, Lelouch said in a low whisper, "It was you...", causing Kallen's world to come crashing down. This was it. He knew. Now marked the end of not only her job at Babel Tower, but also the end of her school career. She would be forced to hide in shame and finish high school via online schooling.

Without another word, Lelouch stood up from his crouching position, red book in hand. Kallen stood up as well, unable to look the black haired student in the eye. She could only anticipate his reaction to this revelation. However, not a word was said. He had simply extended his arm and handed Kallen her book, before walking away toward the clock tower she had just came from.

Kallen turned to stare in disbelief that the cocky womanizer named Lelouch had not said another word. He acted like he didn't care or that it wasn't a big deal. Or was he pretending? Was he putting on a poker face just for now so that she could drop her guard? Would he eventually use this information against her?

What was going through his head? As Kallen expected, Lelouch was indeed thinking over this newly made connection. However, unlike her expectations, he was not plotting to use it as a way to ruin her life as she knew it. In fact, quite the opposite.

As the black haired student walked along the cemented pathway toward the clock tower, he began thinking of what to do with this information.

"I'm going to have to avoid telling anybody about this. I can't even tell Suzaku. He is a trustworthy person, but his mouth can slip sometimes." Lelouch had surmised in his thoughts, "What about Milly? I know she's a loudmouth, but I think she's trustworthy enough to help Kallen out. She must be going through some tough times if she needs to work at Babel Tower. She always struck me as the type who would never sink that low. She must be desperate."

As Lelouch arrived at the top of the stairs of the clock tower, he looked outside upon the school from the opening made by the design of the tower which allowed one to look out without the dangers of falling out of the building.

The skies were blue and Ashford Academy was silent, although the community and city beyond it were not. While the students sat in class studying and working diligently, the world outside was busy at work. Something Lelouch wished he could do as well. However, his responsibilities were here. It was him who was protecting Nunnally and caring for her with the assistance of the Ashford family. However, he knew full well that this would not last forever. He would need to find something that could help him set up a future for himself and for his dear little sister. That was probably what Kallen was doing. Working hard, despite the humiliation, in order to create a better world for herself and her family. Over in the distance stood the building where she was employed and standing next to it was another grand building. Made purely out of the finest of metals and glass with with plenty of hexagonal shapes adorning the outside, was Infinity Tower.

_**Level 60, Special Division, Infinity Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**_

_**Monday, September 18th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

In the Development Division of the building, beginning from the creation of _Knightmare Battle_, Lloyd Asplund and many other fellow developers had begun to create the avatars for the game. Calling them knightmares, they became the face of the newest sensation to hit Japanese arcades nationwide.

However, along the way, Lloyd and various others had gained the attention of their boss, Zero, the secretive masked man who acted as head game director and CEO to the company, _Project Knightmare_, a branch of the much bigger conglomerate, _Weinberg Incorporated_.

By presenting an offer for a possible downloadable content program that could be coded into the game, they presented rough ideas for many knightmare frames. However, all of the files sent to Zero, although recieved, were never given a proper review or criticism. Believing that he didn't like the ideas, everyone continued about their work. Unfortunately, some quit because he didn't share his own disapproval and was acting cowardly. That was, until six months after the release of the game.

By that time, Andreas Weinberg had announced that due to the well financial gains they were making because of the game, that they were moving forward with Project S. Initially, nobody had known what he was talking about, until Zero had revealed it all. S stood for sequel and they wanted another _Knightmare Battle_ game. Zero had also stated that thanks to the custom knightmare files he received earlier that year, they were able to come up with a new system for the game which would allow it to expand greatly. From that point on, a select group of developers was created for the newly created Special Division, where they would create these machines.

Lloyd Asplund was among this group. However, last week he had brought Zero back down to the Development Division where he had shown him the evolution of his latest project which was entitled, White Knight. Impressed by the results, Zero demanded that it be pushed forward for finalization and be put first in line for the Special Knightmare Program, which was a specially designed program made by Zero himself.

This program had mapped out all of the qualified players who would be matched to one of many units that were placed into the program. Whomever qualified the most would then be given the machine as a way of increasing player interest. It also bore a special purpose which Zero did not reveal to any of the developers and was a secret that only he and Andreas had known about.

Regardless of what the higher ups had in mind, Lloyd was happy that his _baby_ was going to become the first product of this program. Currently he was doing the finishing touches while Cecile was working on it's sister unit, the third in the line, but second that he felt were ready. The trial version itself still had some tweaks to be fixed.

"How's she looking so far Cecile? Is she enough to fight on par with her older sister?" Lloyd asked as he took a sip out of his mug of coffee, averting his eyes toward his companion who was working at her own set of computers at the next desk.

"The Club is lacking in performance features. If piloted by two people of the same combat rate efficiency level, it would lose to the Lancelot easily. This one requires more maintenance and precision by it's pilot. Otherwise it'll end up losing to it's predecessor." the purple haired woman answered, using her hand to move the model of the knightmare on the screen. She swiped it toward one of the nearby holo-tables that they had used for more detail and precision coding.

A hologram of the white and blue knightmare appeared above the table which was projecting holograms from the four corners of the table where the small projectors were stored. Cecile began moving the hologram around with her hands, zooming in on the face which was similar to the Lancelot, albeit a change in the tusks design and the horn which faced forward like a rhinoceros rather than pointing out the back of the head.

"Still, it's impressive enough. Out of all the simulations that we've run, she's won 42% of the time. Although the Lancelot did win more, it's still an improvement over the 7:3 ratio that we had before. Now the Club is beginning to show her strength." Lloyd answered as he sat back in his office chair to look up at his subordinate who was dressed in her usual uniform, consisting of the orange colored jacket and long skirt with black boots.

It was the typical uniform for anyone who worked at the Special Division. Well, aside from certain peoples including himself. Rackshata Chawla also avoided wearing that uniform as did one of the younger developers who was allowed to wear her academy uniform in contrast to the regular company one. Their boss who oversaw their progress, Mr. Eleria, had told them all that they could wear whatever they felt most comfortable in whilst maintaining a professional atmosphere during their work.

Only some of them took him up on his offer. Lloyd would have thought that he was a very kind man, but he could see through his act. He only acted this way in order to increase their productivity in their work. A smart tactic which proved efficient so far. They were meeting their quota relatively quickly. Even Rackshata who was behind in producing her machines. Although it must have been because she wanted them to be perfect and ready to be unleashed into the world. Her children.

Lloyd only ever rarely depicted an attachment to anybody or anything. The Lancelot was the exception. Rackshata though, showed great attachment to her Guren and the others under her design team's development.

"Lloyd? Will you be incorporating any more of our designs on future models?" Cecile asked as she began looking over the armory of the Lancelot. Among them was a rifle codenamed, VARIS, along with two swords codenamed, MVS, and two spears codenamed, MVS Lance.

"Of course. The Lancelot will be the forerunner into future models and all will look back on us and say that we were the founders of such amazing designs!" Lloyd exclaimed happily, grabbing the attention of nearby workers who tried their best to ignore his loud bursts of excitement. However, they were a tendency and were very distracting.

"I was thinking that maybe certain models should get certain designs. For example, the Vincent can take on the-" Cecile began as she brought out another design only for Lloyd to panic as he got up quickly and ran over to shut down the holo-table. The gray haired developer brought his arm around his companion's shoulders and hunched them down like a football team planning a play.

"We have to keep that a secret. Future projects past the Lancelot Club will not be talked about in the public like this! All future models have to remain secret to the others! Just because we work together in the same division, doesn't mean we're teammates with everyone here. They might steal a design or two." Lloyd whispered in a very low tone before standing back up and returning to his chair.

"Alright then. I guess I'll continue to work on the Club on my computer then." Cecile stated, slightly weirded out that he was acting so secretive. She wasn't as paranoid as her former superior was. She didn't believe that the others were scheming to steal one another's schematics and ideas. They all had their own plans and designs to complete. Spending time stealing another's blueprints would be wasting time and outright foolish. They were monitored 24/7 by a system which prevented the sharing of designs between the different teams. This was incorporated by their boss, Mr. Eleria, in order to pressure them into coming up with a vast array of original ideas.

_**Student Council Clubhouse, Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**_

_**Monday, September 18th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

"Has anyone seen Lelouch? I haven't seen him since lunch." asked Rivalz Cardemonde, blue haired Secretary of the Ashford Student Council. He was in the meeting room located at the Student Council Clubhouse, looking for his black haired friend who always ended up away from his duties as Vice-President.

He had just entered the room and was looking around, only to see that nobody was present aside from the girl who held the biggest crush on Lelouch. She was sitting at the meeting table, homework assignments and a calculator before her. She had her pencil in her mouth, until she saw the arrival of her fellow classmate and club member. At that point, it dropped and she began unleashing her irritation upon him.

"Oh no you don't! You're going to drag him into another gambling session like last Friday aren't you?" asked an angered female voice belonging to an orange haired girl. Her yellowish eyes looked at Rivalz with much anger causing him to feel immense danger for his life.

"No! We're not going gambling until this Thursday, Shirley! Besides, we didn't go gambling last Friday." Rivalz answered, inadvertently revealing classified information as he cross his arms.

"Then why did Lulu say that you went to Babel Tower?" Shirley Fenette asked, pointing at him with a finger that threw all of the world's guilty upon him. Rivalz couldn't help, but feel disappointed that Lelouch had left out all of the important details which only made everything look bad.

"Oh man, he didn't even bother explaining why we were there? I invited him to a video game presentation that day. It happened to be held at Babel Tower. We just watched the debut of a new arcade game and we returned home shortly after." Rivalz explained as he looked at the orange haired girl.

"A new video game? You mean that one that everyone has been talking about today? With that masked Zero guy?" Shirley asked as she recalled some boys in her class talking about it ecstatically while watching a presentation on their phones during their study period.

"Exactly! That's the one! It's really popular and they're releasing a sequel. From what I've read, it'll be amazing! That's why I need Lelouch. I was going to invite him to go to an arcade. I wanted him to see why the game presentation was such an important thing, because after we were done he began criticizing me." Rivalz explained as he turned around to leave.

"Hold up! I'll help you go look for him! He skipped out on chemistry and the rest of the day after lunch. I need to tell him to get his act together!" Shirley said as she stood up from her seat in order to help Rivalz in his search. The pair exited the room, leaving Shirley's homework assignments on the table with her bag. Rivalz knew full well that she was having trouble in Algebra, so she must have been using this as an excuse to procrastinate. It didn't matter, but he just didn't want to hear any of her complaints regarding her poor scores in the future. He would have to remember to tell her later on that she caused this by accompanying him in this adventure.

As the two exited the room and entered the ballroom of the building, they could see Milly Ashford standing in the center with a brown haired student and friend of theirs. However, he wasn't in his usual Ashford Academy uniform. Rather than that, he was wearing a large blue costume. Of a cat. It seemed that Milly was up to some of her crazy antics again.

"S-Suzaku what are you doing?" Rivalz asked as they came to a halt to see this bizarre scene. Milly stepped to the side and turned toward the newcomers to allow them to see Suzaku in all his glory.

"Take a good look at day one of our upcoming spirit week!" Milly proclaimed excitedly. Suzaku however, didn't seem to share her excitement. He was dressed in a full body costume of a blue cat with a hoodie acting as the ears. His face also had makeup upon it. A large black circle covered his right eye while whiskers were drawn on his cheeks.

"Can you please help me?" Suzaku asked desperately. His face gave off an expression of despair. He was in no way enjoying the Prez's current experiment which involved him dressing in and out of various costumes, some of which were on the floor in an open cardboard box.

"Sorry, Suzaku. It seems the Prez has chosen you for this one. Besides, I have to find Lelouch." Rivalz said as he continued walking along toward the exit.

"Hey where is he anyway? I was going to use him for this, but I couldn't find him at his usual spot on the roof. Did he ditch school this time?" Milly asked as she continued looking at Suzaku closely with content.

"I'm not sure. I don't think he ditched. Even if he did, there's not really anywhere that he would've gone. He doesn't go out much." Rivalz answered as he stopped at the double doors to look back at the group. "Are you still coming Shirley or are you going to help Milly with her preparations for spirit week?" Rivalz had asked, noticing that the orange haired girl had stayed in her position.

"Uhh, yeah. I'll help you out. I'd rather not get a cat costume thrown on me." Shirley said as she caught up with Rivalz, however, Milly answered her statement by saying, "It's okay Shirley, I won't be needing you anyway. I already have your measurements." This brought on a blush over Shirley's face considering the fact that she had never even shared them with Milly to begin with.

"Anyway, let's get going." Rivalz said, not wanting to enter a perverse conversation with the President. If she could get Shirley's body measurements, there was no telling what else she might know.

As the pair exited the clubhouse and began walking outside they saw someone exiting the school building which had caught their attention. A redhaired student who had her school bag draped over her shoulder while she began walking home.

"Hey Kallen!" Shirley yelled out, catching her classmate's attention. Kallen looked over to see two of the Student Council members coming over toward them. She dreaded being around Shirley. She didn't hate her exactly, but her upbeat attitude at certain times did get on Kallen's nerves. Such as when Kallen was exhausted from work the night before and extremely tired due to lack of sleep. During these moments, she would try her best to catch some shuteye right before class. However, Shirley always entered the classroom with an energetic attitude which must have been the side effect of coffee or something. There was no way a human could be that energetic every morning continuously throughout the year.

"Oh, hi Shirley. Rivalz. How have you guys been?" Kallen asked, faking some conversation. She really wasn't interested in their lives at the moment. She needed to get to work soon. Plus the trip to Babel Tower from Ashford Academy wasn't exactly a short one. Due to lack of funds, Kallen would always walk or rather, run to work.

"Well we're in a bit of a squeeze right now. We're looking for Lelouch. Have you seen him anywhere?" Rivalz said, hoping to the Gods of all religions that she had known where he was. Luckily for him, Kallen did have a guess of where he might be. However, she didn't share it.

"I haven't seen him around. Sorry. Good luck in trying to find him." Kallen said with a modest smile as she continued to go on her way. As the two students continued their search by entering the school's main building, Kallen decided to head toward where he might have been. Kallen had last seen him walking toward the clock tower, where she had her lunch earlier that day. If her hunch was correct, he would be up there now.

Kallen turned her head to look toward where the tall building stood. According to rumors around school, he would skip classes often and be found sleeping the rest of the day off in some secluded place of the school. However, it became common knowledge that he would seek solace on the roof. Maybe that was why he went up to the clock tower instead of the roof this time around.

The redhead sighed as she began to walk toward the tower, hoping that this wouldn't be a waste of time. Otherwise, she would be risking tardiness for work. Although Ryo was relatively lax in that department, she knew that her pay would be cut if she kept it up. In fact, Kallen had witnessed this happen to one of her fellow co-workers, Mutsuki Minase. She was a college student who was working at Babel Tower for the sake of paying off her tuition fees. However, due to her large amounts of homework assignments, she would often find herself tardy for work by a couple of minutes. Overtime, Ryo was forced to cut her pay as a consequence. This had shocked her immensely since it meant she would have less in her pocket for food money that week. However, Ryo had snuck a couple of hundreds into her bag out of his own pocket.

He was a real nice guy, always looking out for his friends and companions. Ryo would often tell stories about his friends at school. Despite the immense amount of friendly relationships he had maintained, he looked out for two people more than any other. His younger best friends who were basically his siblings considering their closeness. Ayano and Yukiya. Although Kallen didn't know why they were so close, despite their different ages, she did know that their history went very far back. Ryo would often say he had looked after them for years. Whatever it was that connected them, it was truly something strong that bonded them.

By the time she had reached the entrance of the tower, she began to feel extremely nervous. Although her resolve was strong to discover Lelouch's intentions, Kallen also felt like knowing the truth would cause her mental torment. Although she could physically destroy Lelouch in an instant, she was more than aware of the raven haired boy's capabilities that surpassed hers in terms of intelligence. He was by far the smartest student at the school.

Throughout the time he spent ditching class, he could have probably set up an entire system of ways for which he could reveal her secret at the press of a button or flick of a switch. As her steps up the stairs echoed throughout the empty and dark tower which was only illuminated by the daylight coming through from the top and bottom of the structure, she began thinking of ways to bribe him into forgetting it all.

If she did bribe him though, what would it be that he would want? Money? Material objects? Information? Just what would he ask for? What did Lelouch like anyway? He never openly showed any taste for anything in the media now that she thought about it. He was a closed book. Poker face and all. However, that was not the case right now.

By the time Kallen reached the top of the steps, she had saw that she stumbled upon the legendary Black Prince of Ashford and in conjunction with his nickname, he was sleeping soundly at peace, like a prince would in childhood fairy tales. He was sitting with his back up against the small wall that served as the border between the top of the tower and certain death.

Kallen took a couple of steps closer to him and crouched down, bringing her knees to her chest. Her azure eyes stared closely at the face of the man she had been fearing over the past couple of hours. Throughout her classes, her thoughts were stuck on whether or not Lelouch would make her school life a living hell.

Yet, now that she took a good look at him, he didn't seem to be that sort of person. All of the rumors and her assumptions about him faded as she stared at the features of the man she was supposed to be confronting right now.

His purple eyes were hidden as they were closed whilst he dreamt. His skin was a light color as well. It must have been Alexandria's Genesis. A rare condition. His hair contrasted this lightness by being a very dark color, a jet black shade. A truly beautiful combination which resulted in the handsome face of this student.

"How long will you keep looking at me?" asked the voice of this formerly sleeping boy. Kallen was scared by his sudden speech. She fell back from her crouching position, landing on her buttocks painfully on the concrete floor. Kallen winced at the pain as Lelouch stood up from his sleeping position with a slight yawn.

"Ahhh. To what do I owe the pleasure, Ms. Kouzuki?" Lelouch asked as he stretch his arms up above his head. He looked down at the redhead who was slowly getting up, brushing off her uniform as she did.

"Were you awake this entire time?" Kallen asked, slightly irritated that he surprised her like that. She looked directly at him, watching as Lelouch turned his back on her to look out toward the school.

"I had only just awakened. I heard someone breathing aside from myself. Plus, I felt the presence of somebody before me. I knew that someone was here, but I was expecting somebody else, like Suzaku or Shirley. However, instead I get you. I can only guess as to why you would be here, though I have an idea." Lelouch answered as he turned back to face Kallen. His posture was lazy as his elbows rested upon the wall. This seemed to piss off his guest.

"You're acting really cocky right now. You're contrasting how you looked earlier." Kallen explained as her eyebrows furrowed. She wasn't amused by the way he was acting. Although he hadn't said anything offensive in the slightest, his body language was what irritated her.

"Did you like what you had seen? You do know that walking in on someone as they rest is an invasion of privacy." Lelouch retorted as his smile began to disappear. Although not many were aware, Lelouch had a pet peeve about being seen sleeping. He felt like someone was staring into his weaknesses when he was napping.

"You're one to talk. What about my privacy?" Kallen asked, steering the conversation toward the reason why she was here. Her words had caught Lelouch's attention. It seemed he was correct in his assumption. Their earlier meeting must have been what was bothering her.

"What about it? I haven't invaded your personal life in any way. You're acting like I've setup some sort of elaborate plan to reveal your darkest of secrets." Lelouch stated, deducing exactly what Kallen was thinking.

"That is something you would do! I've heard all the stories! You're always coming up with some sort of plan to get what you want. You have plenty of strategies and tactics that you against people instead of for them! You spend your days outside of school by gambling with criminals and filthy rich people. Then you use that money for yourself!" Kallen began, throwing all the rumors at him. "You womanize girls repeatedly too! All these girls look up to you because you're one of the smartest students here, but you just use them! You date one, throw her away, and then move on to the next one!" Kallen added on. She'd heard many wild and crazy accusations about him. Lelouch was, the lowest of the low.

"How do you know this then? Did you read this off of the school's newspaper? Or from the gossip made by our rival schools? How about from those who've lost respectable games of Chess to me during lunch? What about from the girls who asked me out and I told them that I could not?" Lelouch asked her, revealing all his own knowledge about these supposed rumors. "Kallen, have you ever just stopped to think that these stories are just that? Stories? Do you think I have time to go around womanizing students? Do I look like I have the schedule to plan out strategies to use my fellow classmates? Do I look like I have a lavish lifestyle to match your accusation?" Lelouch continued, making Kallen feel more and more uncomfortable. Her body began to fail her, her legs feeling like twigs as the shook under her weight. Her hands were even slightly shaking as her throat tightened. She felt like a child who was in huge trouble for breaking something expensive at a another person's house.

"Kallen, you understand nothing about me, nor my life. How would you like it if I began doing the same based upon what I learned today?" Lelouch asked, striking a chord. Kallen gulped loudly as she felt the pressure begin to come down. He had cornered her. "Anyone could come up with a plethora of rumors and wild scenarios based upon your place of employment. Yet, I am not one who spends his days doing so. That is what people from the Journalism Club do." Lelouch added, striking another chord. The Journalism Club was responsible for giving Kallen a good week's worth of annoyance around one year prior. It was when Lelouch had stolen Kallen's lips. This was photographed by a member of the Photography Club who was just getting the scenery. Unfortunately, the two kissing made it onto the background of the photograph and was used by the student newspaper, _Ashford Chronicles_.

Kallen didn't want to get into a discussion about that incident however, specifically because it embarrassed and angered her to no end. Her cheeks turned a rosy red as she recalled the incident, but before the could even begin to imagine it, Lelouch continued on.

"So if you're expecting that I am that low, then you honestly need to rethink your image of me. You can't judge someone based off of appearances alone. You may get an idea, but it is nowhere near the truth until you begin learning about that person and their background. Despite that, it seems that you have no interest in getting to know who I really am. You're here for one reason aren't you?" Lelouch asked, wanting to get to the point and get on his way. He could feel his cell phone in his pocket vibrating at alarming rates which was becoming an annoyance. If it were on a setting other than vibrate, it would be interrupting their conversation like a barking dog on the other side of a fence.

"T-That's right. I'm here, because I can't have you spreading the truth! Where I work is none of anyone's business! So I'm telling you to keep quiet about it or else!" Kallen demanded, trying to show some backbone. If she didn't show her own force, Lelouch wouldn't take her seriously. She had to show her determination as well as her willingness to hurt Lelouch. She was sure that the Black Prince of Ashford didn't have what it took to defy a threat.

"You don't need to worry about that. I wouldn't waste my time with you or your personal life. It doesn't interest me in the slightest. Whatever your reasons may be, they don't matter. You can live your life peacefully knowing that your secret is safe. Maybe that'll help change your attitude a little." Lelouch replied, beginning to walk toward the stairs to make his exit.

"What do you mean by that!? You have some nerve to say that when your attitude is that of a cocky prick who looks down on others!" Kallen yelled out as he began to make his descent, causing Lelouch to halt.

"I've been looked down on my whole life. So what makes you think I'd act in that same manner toward anyone else? If only you understood. Then you'd take your words back in an instant." Lelouch finished, venom in his words. This confused Kallen. Her eyebrows upward at this statement. What could he have possibly meant by that? If only she'd understood? Her own life has been filled with struggle and hardships. A father in prison. A mother who works two jobs. A brother who disapproves of her actions. A job where at any moment, she could be hurt in numerous ways. Her occupation was almost as dangerous as walking through the back alleys of the settlement through the night. She understood a harsh life more than he could ever begin to think.

Although, Kallen herself was unaware of what entered Lelouch's own mind. His own past. The horrors he endured alongside his sister. The pain that started seven years prior which had yet to subside for it was now anger. An anger he was forced to bury. Nobody could know how he truly felt. For if he did, then he would have no place left. His sister would be put in danger again, something he could never begin to imagine. As his feet took him down the stairs of the dark concrete tower, he felt the despair of seven years begin to enter his heart. However, he knew that now was not the time to think of such things. For once he would start, it would never end.

Trying his best to calm himself, Lelouch's hand reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. On the screen was at least 20 notifications from both Rivalz and Shirley. They were looking for him. As he checked the messages, he sighed at the reason behind this panic. Shirley wanted to know why he skipped class today. Rivalz, however, wanted to take them to an arcade for something _important_. Whatever it was, it must have been more appealing than listening to one of Shirley's lectures about the importance of education and proper attendance. Lelouch reached down and began to send a message to Rivalz.

It read: _I'll meet you at the gate. I'd rather not run into Shirley, so get there with your bike ready to go. Be there in five minutes._

Pocketing the phone, Lelouch began thinking. Kallen was there just to ask him not to blackmail her. However, why did she begin insulting him with those accusations? Why did she find those rumors and such to be so important? He ignored them everyday. At least once every week, an article for their school's newspaper, _Ashford Chronicles_, would appear with him as the main subject of gossip and rumors. From gambling to womanizing, the Journalism Club had their eyes on him at all times. That was one of the reasons why he skipped out on certain classes. It always ended with something simple into becoming a whole new fabricated tale of drama. He sometimes wondered if Milly was in charge of their ideas.

Regardless of whether she was or not, they could not reach them outside of school. Thanks to the rules set up by the Journalism teacher and sponsor, the club members could not use information outside of school regarding students, in their newspaper. This made the arcade a perfect place to avoid the worries of school.

_**Oriental Bar & Arcade, Omotesando Mall, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**_

_**Monday, September 18th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**_

Tamaki looked up from his position at the bar and saw that Naoto was still going at it. Ever since he showed him that game the Friday before, Naoto was hooked. He came in Saturday to play it for three hours straight. Then on Sunday he repeated this. Now he was spending his day off from work at the arcade, playing consistently without end. Tamaki regretted showing his friend _Knightmare Battle_. Originally it was meant to help him relax and forget his worries. Now he was going too far.

Then the sound of the jingling of bells caught his attention. Tamaki turned to look at the entrance where he was supposed to welcome the new customers. However, he saw a familiar face instead.

"Oh it's you. What are you doing here runt? You don't work for another hour." Tamaki said as he looked down at his watch on his left wrist. The time read, 4:00 p.m.

"Would you stop calling me that!? My name is Rivalz! Just because I'm your underling, doesn't mean you get to call me a bunch of nicknames." said the blue haired student, obviously showing discontent at the term.

"Whatever you say. Who's this? A friend from school?" Tamaki asked as he pointed at Rivalz's companion. The black haired boy introduced himself to Tamaki, "I'm Lelouch. Lelouch Lamperouge. I'm his superior as well, Vice-President of our Student Council."

"Oh really? So you're the gambling prodigy huh? Rivalz talks alot about you, ya know. It's nice to know that this kid over here has someone to look out for him. Nice to meet you, I'm Shinichiro Tamaki, bartender of the Oriental Bar & Arcade." Tamaki replied as he shook Lelouch's hand who sat down at one of the stools beside Rivalz.

"So, how you doing then kid? School going okay?" Tamaki asked as he looked at his younger co-worker. Rivalz's grey eyes looked up at his occupational friend and sighed as he thought about the immense amount of work they were being given recently.

"Well the homework's been piling up. I've been keeping up somehow, but if this keeps going on, I'll be swamped. It doesn't help, that Milly is adding on a ridiculous amount of Student Council activities. We've been forced to not only prepare the outline for the spirit week, but we've also had to begin finding a way to pay for all of it. She spends too much money on these events." Rivalz answered, remembering a meeting they had the week prior about how Nina was stating that at their current rate, the budget would run out, even if they had fundraisers everyday for the next three weeks.

It was a ridiculous statistic, but it was reality. However, Milly seemed to be in no way worried about any of it. It was outrageous in Rivalz's eyes. If they ended up broke, then the principal would get involved and from what he had seen, Milly's grandfather was a very scary man.

"Hey, speaking of that chick, how's your progress been? You keep saying you'll ask her out, but from what I've seen, you haven't made a move yet." Tamaki asked, wondering about his underling's love life. Rivalz had talked about the president countless of times. He even showed Tamaki a picture of her and he had to say, the girl was a true beauty. She would grow up to become a, in Tamaki's words, "bodacious babe".

"No, not yet. I'm waiting for one of the spirit days. Apparently one of them is called Cupid's Day. If you steal the hat of one of the opposite gender and put it on, then you and that person become a couple for the day. It's the perfect chance to declare my love for Madame President!" Rivalz declared with a passionate fire in his eyes and his spirit as he raised his fist into the sky. This brought a huge laugh into Tamaki.

"Haha! Well the best of luck to you kiddo!" Tamaki said, copying Rivalz's raised fist as he laughed loudly, slamming his hand onto the bar counter. Whilst the two had their conversation, Lelouch's eyes darted around the place, causing him to realize how comfortable it was.

The entire room was simple in design. The carpet marked the separation between the arcade and the restaurant. One side was colored red whilst the other was white, a clear reference to the Japanese flag. However, the place appeared to be more Britannian influenced, despite being called oriental. There were at least five or so booths with one larger corner booth. Then there were around two long tables before one would reach the bar and the door that led into the kitchen behind it.

Then, paralleling the bar and restaurant side was the arcade which was filled with various classic and modern arcade machines. Then on the side where the bar was, stood a prize section with various prizes from candy to little toys to stuffed animals and the more expensive board games or electronics.

However, in the center of the arcade section was something big that had caught his attention. It seemed to be a much larger game than the others. Four pods stood in a cross formation with what appeared to be monitors in between each pod.

"Excuse me, Tamaki. What is that game over there?" Lelouch asked, curious about it since he hadn't come to an arcade in years. It had also seemed to be somewhat out of place.

"Oh that. It's a popular game from last year. It's called, _Knightmare Battle_. I would recommend it, but the last time I did that one of my friends ended up becoming obsessed. He's playing it right now actually. Damn guy." Tamaki explained as he pointed with his thumb. There was a lot of commotion over there, Lelouch was sure. A small crowd was watching the screens as some others played the game. It must have been a fascinating game to garner that much attention.

"That's the game I want to play with you Lelouch. I want you to see why that presentation was so great! Hey Tamaki, who's playing it right now?" Rivalz asked since he also noticed all the attention it was getting.

"Naoto is. I told him about it on Friday and he hasn't stopped coming in to play. Today is his day off too! He's supposed to be back home relaxing or helping his mother with the bakery, but he came here instead. I've never seen him so hooked before." Tamaki explained before asking, "By the way, do you want anything to drink or eat?"

"I'll have a water." Lelouch answered as he looked back from the games toward Tamaki. He began to think about his decision to go with Rivalz. Maybe he had made a mistake coming with him. This was just another effort to get Lelouch to like games.

"Alright then. Hey Rivalz, could you go and get Naoto to quit? I don't want his sister to give me a lecture about causing all this, so I'd rather end it before it gets out of hand." Tamaki requested as he poured Lelouch a cold glass of water.

"Sure." Rivalz said, standing up and beginning his stroll over toward the arcade. As he stepped onto the white carpet, which was beginning to turn gray, he began thinking of a way to get Lelouch to play. For some reason, Lelouch stuck with strategic games like Chess rather than try video games.

Rivalz made his way through the small crowd of gamers who ranged from children to adults with too much time on their hands. By the time he reached the game itself, he saw that the current match had ended and that Naoto was taking a break. Sitting in the pod, whilst drinking a water bottle, was the casually dressed Naoto Kouzuki. Wearing a grey shirt that was as moist as the red headband on his forehead due to the amount of sweat his body was generating due to the strain being put upon it by the game he was playing. His blue jeans over his black boots were worn and torn thanks to his continuous construction work he does every week.

As Rivalz looked at this man, he couldn't help, but wonder why Tamaki was making this such a big deal. From what he saw, it looked like Naoto was a man who worked hard and often. If anything, Tamaki felt like he deserved to relax.

"Hey, Naoto. You look like you're having a good time." Rivalz said, stopping in front of the older man who was thirstily chugging water out of his bottle.

"Oh, you're Rivalz right? Let me guess, Tamaki sent you here to get me to quit playing right? Well I'm not going to stop until someone can beat me. I'm having too much fun. Until someone can stop my fun, I'm not going to stop." Naoto said, placing the cap on his bottle and twisting it closed.

"Yeah, he did, but I think you should be able to relax as much as you want. You look like you work really hard." Rivalz replied, however an idea struck him. One that could probably solve everything.

"That's right. Which is why I'm taking up all my free time to have fun. Umm, are you listening to me?" Naoto asked as he saw Rivalz begin to grow an expression which signified that he was no longer on Earth.

"I'll be right back!" Rivalz yelled out before turning away from Naoto and begin running toward where Lelouch sat. His strategic friend was casually sipping his water while Tamaki was telling him a story about Naoto. "Lelouch! Lelouch!" Rivalz yelled out, stopping in front of his friend, hands on his knees while trying to catch his breath.

"What's wrong Rivalz? And how did you lose your breath by running across this place?" Lelouch asked, surprised since he had only ran a couple of meters.

"I need you to come over here right now! I'm going to show you why this game is so amazing! You'll be able to use your strategies effectively here." Rivalz stated, grabbing hold of his friend's wrist and beginning to pull while running back toward Naoto. Lelouch tried keeping up, the sudden force causing the glass of water to fall and break, causing Tamaki to yell out at Rivalz. Ignoring his superior, Rivalz came to a stop and began pushing Lelouch into one of the available pods.

"Alright here. Get strapped in while I set up the game for you. You'll be able to pick it up relatively quickly. Let's see if you have what it takes to win." Rivalz said as he began pressing buttons on the dashboard of the game pod while Lelouch tried getting out of the pod.

"Rivalz, I'm not playing this okay! These kind of games aren't for me." Lelouch said as he tried getting past his eager friend to go back to the bar. He didn't like being forced into these kind of things by anyone, especially Rivalz. This reminded him of the time when Rivalz had convinced him into riding his motorcycle down a highway that was still under construction. They ended up getting a fine by the police and Rivalz had his license suspended.

"Lelouch stop struggling! You'll like it, I swear! Besides, I got money on you, so good luck!" Rivalz said, hoping this would help motivate his friend into playing. Rivalz exited the pod, allowing the door to close behind him which kept Lelouch stuck inside the cockpit pod.

"I know he's going to give me an earful later, but this is the only way he'll learn to love this game." Rivalz thought to himself, his smile spanning from one ear to the other as he stood amongst the crowd, ready to see the game unfold.

Meanwhile, inside of the cockpit pod, Lelouch tried his best to open the door to the outside world. However, it was locked shut, leaving his efforts pointless. However, a voice in the pod caught his attention.

"_Welcome to Knightmare Battle! Please, strap yourself into the safety belts and prepare for combat._" the feminine robotic voice said. Lelouch looked back at the seat and saw a pair of belts that would strap over his chest and keep him close to the seat. Deciding there was no choice, but to go through with this, Lelouch sat back and clicked the belts together, locking it in place and tightening them until it was comfortable.

"_Thank you. Prepare for combat in 3."_ the voice started again. Lelouch gulped as he thought about what was going to happen. He never played this game before. From what he could see, the controls were far from simple. There was no simple joystick and button. There in fact two control sticks with numerous other buttons on them. Almost like a fighter jet. Maybe even more complicated than one.

"_2_." the voice continued. Lelouch began to feel a sweat drip down his forehead. He knew he was playing against this Naoto person. From what the bartender, Tamaki, was saying earlier, it seemed that this person was experienced. He knew what he was doing. If he was addicted to this game, then he must have been good at it as well.

"_1_." Now it would begin. Lelouch could do nothing more than grip the two control sticks with his hands, ready to play. He did, however, pray that it would end quickly. If it was a quick victory for this man, Naoto, then it would mean that Lelouch could go home earlier. Besides, he had to cook dinner as well as do some of his assignments. Then he would have to sleep since he had school tomorrow as well. The week had just began after all.

"_Game start._" the voice finished the countdown. The screen before Lelouch displayed a three dimensional grid which eventually transitioned into a city which appeared wartorn. The sound of battle filled his cockpit through the speakers. Bullets being fired, explosions in the distance, fires blazing about. Lelouch began to shift the controls and his pod suddenly shifted forward with intense speed.

"What the? What is this?" Lelouch asked aloud as he pulled back on the controls, reversing the direction of force which was now being put upon his chest. Lelouch stopped moving the control sticks and so did the pod.

"What did I do? Which one of these moves this thing forward?" Lelouch asked as he moved the left control stick forward. His body lunged forward into his harness, as the pod moved him. Lelouch immediately pulled it back to it's former position, stopping the movement.

"So, that's the throttle. But it doesn't just move forward or back. It's on a six axis. Then it must move this in all directions. So this one must control something else then." Lelouch thought as he pushed the right control stick forward. He saw a large robotic pair of arms holding a rifle appear on screen in a first screen perspective.

"What the? Is this a shooting game?" Lelouch asked as he saw the large weapon. However, up ahead he saw something else. Coming in fast, wielding a similar rifle was another robot. It was humanoid in shape with arms, legs, and a head. However, it had it's own distinct differences. The back had a large protrusion. The legs seemed to have extensions on the ankles which had wheels at the ends. Plus, the head seemed to open up and reveal a sort of device which scanned the area.

"So, this is my competition? A newbie who's never touched this game before? Well who knows? You might surprise me." said the voice coming from the other robot.

"Is this man my enemy?" Lelouch thought to himself, however his answer was quickly answered. The enemy robot pointed it's rifle at Lelouch and began to open fire, causing his pod to shake violently. Lelouch pulled back on the throttle and turned toward his right. Lelouch was now in an alley between two ruined buildings. As he ran from his enemy, Lelouch began to think.

"I see now. This game is different. It's more of a simulator. These are cockpits that control these robotic machines. Now let's see what my armament is." Lelouch said as he looked at the screen's hud. On the monitor in the upper left corner was a square that showed an icon alongside a red icon not too far away that was following him. It was the radar with a map of the environment.

Below that in the lower left corner was a set of numbers separated by a slash and a bar below it. Lelouch guessed that it was the ammunition for his weapon considering that in the lower right corner was a small group of weapons. The current selected weapon was a rifle with some sort of indication of letters and numbers for the model. There were four total weapon slots and from what Lelouch could feel, there were four buttons on his right control stick underneath his fingers while his thumb rested on a red circular button which must have fired the weapon selected. As for the upper right corner, were two bars, one that was accompanied by the word "Health" while the other said "Fuel".

"I see. They've added numerous restrictions in this game. Health. Fuel. A limited ammunition for the weapons. One must carefully plan their attacks or else lose all their weapons during combat. If I move too much I lose my fuel. If I'm reckless I'll lose health. If I'm careless, I'll lose ammunition. Whoever made this is truly intelligent." Lelouch said, keeping an eye on his fuel as he moved. His eyes darted to the radar and he saw that the red icon had moved toward his right and was moving fast to catch him.

Lelouch reached the end of the alleyway and turned right, rifle pointed straight and ready to fire. However, he didn't see the enemy machine come out of it's alleyway either, despite the radar saying it had.

"Does he have some sort of device that deceives my sight?" Lelouch asked as he looked at his radar to see the icon was coming right at him. However he looked upward and saw the machine falling down from the roof of one of the buildings that was billowing smoke. His tan colored robot had discarded it's rifle for arm mounted stun-tonfas instead, entering melee combat. With the swing of it's arm, the robot used it's right tonfa to strike down upon Lelouch's machine.

This caused it to fall backward, causing Lelouch's cockpit to shake. As he tried his best to recover, Lelouch decided to open fire. His rifle shot off a barrage of bullets upon it's foe, causing Naoto to retreat at full reverse before coming to a stop only a couple of meters away. Sheathing the stun tonfas, Naoto's machine fired off two rocket anchors that were mounted on it's chest armor. The two pierced into Lelouch's shoulder joints, rendering the arms ineffective.

"Now you fall." said Naoto's voice as the chords that connected their units together began to reel in at a quick rate, bringing Lelouch's machine closer to Naoto's, like a fisherman reeling in a large catch toward the surface.

Bringing out his rifle from the back of his knightmare, just below the cockpit, Naoto aimed it at Lelouch's machine which continued coming closer. With the press of a button, the rifle fired a grenade from the grenade launcher just below the main barrel. The projectile flew into a straight path at Lelouch's cockpit. Time seemed to slow. Lelouch knew it was the end. Naoto truly did outmatch him. That was no exaggeration.

The grenade made it's impact, shaking Lelouch to his core once more while the crowd outside watched the scene unfold on the monitors that displayed the battle from a third-person perspective. Naoto had dominated the battlefield and mercilessly defeat his opponent with an overkill type of attack.

"_Game Over._" the voice dictated within the cockpit pod Lelouch sat in. He began to unfasten the safety harness over his chest and the door finally opened up. Stepping out toward his left, Lelouch could feel the weight of the Earth beginning to place pressure on his body. He was truly exhausted. The g-forces he had felt during the game were impacting his body. He felt weak. His muscles tired and worn out, almost like he had just finished a marathon made for Spartans.

"Hey Lelouch! You okay? You look like you've just entered a weightlifting competition or something." Rivalz said, slightly concerned that his less than muscular friend was showing signs of weariness. Rivalz put his arm below Lelouch's helping support him as they walked toward the bar. Lelouch, despite being parched and sore began to speak, "Rivalz. I'm going to kill you if you ever do something like that to me again." Rivalz gulped as he felt Lelouch's irritance. Rivalz knew full well that Lelouch was capable of manipulating Milly into causing havoc for just about anyone. She didn't notice it, but sometimes she was a puppet under Lelouch's control.

The two arrived at the bar where Tamaki had prepared another glass of water for Lelouch. Seeing the refreshing drink, he began downing the cold liquid, refreshing himself to the fullest. Having swallowed all the glass could hold, Lelouch slammed the cup down onto the counter, beginning to breath at a slowed down pace before speaking, "That game. Why is it so intense?" Lelouch had honestly felt that he had just entered one of the g-force simulation pods made by the space agencies of Britannia. Lelouch sat at one of the stools, feeling too tired to stand for much longer, his legs feeling like jelly.

"Well it simulates the game to the fullest, almost as if it was a training pod for a real knightmare. I swear, I've seen people enter it and after five minutes, they'll walk out almost like they've been working out for thirty. Despite that, I heard they're taking out that feature for the next game because of safety and health issues. Apparently it's not safe enough. Maybe your kid would be safe if you hadn't been careless enough to let him play it!" Tamaki ranted on, recalling a moment in the past when a mother began filing a complaint at the arcade over her children's usage of the game during their birthday. Despite the pod saying that one needs to be at least sixteen years of age, the mother overlooked it and allowed her son who was six years too young, to play. Tamaki, clearly irritated by the memory continued to murmur insults at the not present woman while Rivalz began talking to Lelouch about the game.

"So what do you think? I know you're a little upset, but you can't deny that it's a fun game." Rivalz said, a wide smile adorning his face. Lelouch gave his friend a glare, seeing right through his act. Not only was he trying to make the game seem like it wasn't as bad as Lelouch felt at the moment, but he was trying to appeal to him for something else. Maybe another favor. Or something having to do with the game itself. Whatever it was, Lelouch wanted no part of any games at this point.

"Rivalz, just spill it so I can deny whatever it is that you want me to do." Lelouch said, placing his elbow upon the bar counter, using his hand to help keep his head upward. He was still feeling the aftershocks of the game. It truly was a shocking experience. He could feel the ripples throughout his body. The g-forces were truly intense. They weren't life threatening, but enough to make one feel as if they were within a fighter jet, roaring across the skies. Or rather, roaring across the battlefield in a robot.

"Fine. I want you to come with me this Saturday to one of the special arcades they're opening up for the new _Knightmare Battle_ game. From what I've been reading on _Knightmag_ it's going to be an event of the year. Plus, the new game has been revamped from the original and made on a new engine which will make it better than before. So what do you say? You in?" Rivalz asked getting more and more excited as he spoke. Lelouch could feel the excitement coming off of his friend's body, like an out of control aura that was bringing heat into the air. Lelouch sighed as he tried his best not to lash out at his friend.

"Listen Rivalz, I-" Lelouch began before the sudden arrival and loud voice of a man interrupted his conversation. Standing before them was Naoto Kouzuki, still drenched in sweat, although far more so than Lelouch was. With a wide smile on his face, Naoto was cracking his fingers, one by one, before beginning to talk to the group.

"Hey, I had a blast out there. You aren't the best at the game yet, but I think with some practice, you could become very good. So, what's your name?" Naoto asked, looking at Lelouch with a smile which displayed his current state of satisfaction. He was more than content with having won and it also seemed like he was done for the day considering the fact that he had left the pods for the bystanders to play.

"My name is Lelouch. Lelouch Lamperouge." he answered, not entirely giving off the same emotions as his opponent. Lelouch couldn't feel the same state of happiness at the moment. Not only was today another boring day of school and a long nap, but he had also gotten into a conversation with Kallen which he would have rather spent sleeping and he was dragged to this arcade by Rivalz out of Lelouch's fear of one of Shirley's lectures about education. Now he had just finished getting beaten in battle and the victor was talking to him like Lelouch actually had somewhat of a chance of winning. The winner was decided from the start, Lelouch knew that much. So there was no reason for this person to be sweetening the truth. However, as he looked at the man's face he saw not an expression of joy, but of disbelief.

"D-Did you say, Lamperouge? As in Lelouch Lamperouge? Son of the deceased Dash Lamperouge, former CEO of _Lamperouge Enterprises_?" Naoto asked, stating almost every important fact about Lelouch's last name. All this information came as a shock to not only Naoto himself, but even to Tamaki, leaving Rivalz as the only confused one among them.

"Yes, that's correct. Why is that important?" Lelouch asked, showing irritance at the mention of his father's name and his company. There were only a small array of things that made Lelouch truly angry. This was one of them. Mentioning of his past life is one of the items on the list that could make him explode into a fireball of hatred.

"I know someone who knew your father. If you'd like, I would greatly appreciate it if you could join my family for dinner tonight. I don't know if you would want to know more, but if you were to come, I could share some important information about him." Naoto said, his tone growing very serious. His eyebrows were brought down into a frown, his smile and attitude of fun faded away. This conversation had turned serious very quickly and it seemed that it was very important as well. Rivalz could understand the air between them. It was tense. Yet, it wasn't one of those moments where he would usually start asking questions. If he did, Lelouch would become more than upset. He would become downright furious. Rivalz barely saw these moments in Lelouch's life and each time he did, he tried his best to avoid angering his friend.

Lelouch didn't respond. Not a single word or even a sound escaped his lips. His frown stood still, just like Naoto. They stared each other down, not either side letting up. Purple eyes met blue as their souls stared deep into the other and the longer that Lelouch looked into Naoto's eyes, the more he felt a sense of nostalgia. He felt like he had seen Naoto before somewhere, some time. He couldn't place his finger on where or when, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt like he had a responsibility to find out why. Even though it was a subject he rarely talked or thought about, it still chipped away at his mind. The mystery behind his father. The past that changed his life and turned it upside down. Would going with this man named Naoto assist in discovering the truth in any way?

"Rivalz. I'll see you tomorrow. We'll talk about whatever then. I have to go and do something right now." Lelouch said, getting up from his seat at the bar. He stood now face to face with Naoto who said no words and the two began walking toward the exit. Lelouch, despite not knowing this man, felt like he could trust him somehow. As if they had met somewhere before...

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><p><strong>AFTERWORD<br>**

**Please let me know what you thought of this chapter in the reviews. It shouldn't take too long. Unless you like to criticize everything and you feel like leaving a whole page's worth of advice on where I can improve. If you do that, I will be happy. Unless you are ****AZNXXXful14. I will then get very depressed and not contact the Internet world for many days at a time while I wallow in my corner of woe, much like in _Ouran High School Host Club_. Much like Tamaki Suoh does every episode. We shall share a corner. Anyway, please let me know what you think of the story so far and what you are looking forward to the most. I'd appreciate to see what you would like to see next. Well, that's all for now folks! So be sure to look out for another update from me! See ya next chapter!**


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